Flora of North America species comparison

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Draba exunguiculata

Draba lonchocarpa

clawless Draba

lance-fruit Draba, lance-fruit whitlow-grass, lance-pod Draba, lance-pod whitlow-grass, lancefruit Draba whitlow-wort, spear-fruit Draba
Habit Perennials; (densely cespitose); caudex branched (covered with persistent, somewhat thickened, dry petioles); not scapose. Perennials; (cespitose, sometimes forming mats); caudex branched (covered with persistent leaf bases); often scapose.
Stems

unbranched, 0.15–0.7 dm, glabrous throughout or sparsely pubescent, trichomes simple, 0.3–0.9 mm.

unbranched, (0.1–)0.3–1.1 dm, glabrous throughout or pubescent proximally or throughout, trichomes minutely stalked, 8–12-rayed, (non-crisped), 0.08–0.3 mm.
Basal leaves

rosulate;

petiolate;

petiole ciliate, (trichomes simple, 0.3–1.1 mm);

blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, (0.5–)0.8–2(–2.5) cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire, (pubescent as petiole), surfaces abaxially sparsely pubescent with simple and stalked, 2- or 3-rayed trichomes, 0.1–0.4 mm, adaxially glabrous or subapically sparsely pubescent with simple trichomes.

rosulate; shortly petiolate;

petiole (obsolete), margin ciliate proximally, (trichomes soft, simple, 2-rayed, 0.2–0.6 mm);

blade oblanceolate to obovate, (0.2–)0.3–1.5 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire, surfaces pubescent abaxially with short-stalked, stellate, 8–12-rayed, (non-crisped) trichomes, 0.15–0.4 mm, (midvein obscure), adaxially glabrous basally or with simple and long-stalked, branched trichomes.
Cauline leaves

1–4;

sessile;

blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.

0 or 1(–4);

sessile;

blade ovate or oblong, margins entire, surfaces pubescent as basal.
Racemes

4–13(–20)-flowered, ebracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis not flexuous, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely pubescent, trichomes simple, to 1 mm.

3–9-flowered, usually ebracteate, rarely proximalmost 1(–4) flowers bracteate, elongated in fruit;

rachis often slightly flexuous (in fruit), glabrous or pubescent as stem.
Flowers

sepals ovate, 2–2.5 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple);

petals (erect), yellow, obovate, 2–2.5(–3) × 1.5–2 mm, (not clawed);

anthers oblong, 0.6–0.9 mm.

sepals ovate, 1.5–2 mm, pubescent, (trichomes simple and short-stalked, 2–5-rayed);

petals white, oblanceolate, 2–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

anthers ovate, 0.2–0.3 mm.
Fruiting pedicels

divaricate-ascending, straight or slightly curved upward, 1–6 mm, usually glabrous, rarely with few, simple trichomes.

ascending, usually straight, rarely curved upward, 2–9(–15) mm, glabrous or pubescent as stem.
Fruits

lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, plane, flattened, 5–13 × 1.5–3 mm;

valves glabrous;

ovules 20–24 per ovary;

style 0.3–1 mm.

linear to narrowly lanceolate or narrowly oblong, slightly twisted or plane, flattened, 6–15(–18) × 1–2(–3) mm;

valves glabrous or sparsely puberulent, trichomes simple and minutely stalked, 2-rayed, 0.1–0.2 mm;

ovules 16–24(–28) per ovary;

style (0.05–)0.1–0.25(–0.35) mm.
Seeds

ovoid, 1–1.3 × 0.6–0.8 mm.

ovoid, 0.7–1 × 0.5–0.6 mm.
2n

= 56 ± 5.

= 16.

Draba exunguiculata

Draba lonchocarpa
Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Open knolls, talus, gravelly alpine slopes, rocky alpine tundra Rocky outcrops and ridges, loose talus, tundra
Elevation 3600-4300 m (11800-14100 ft) (300-)2800-4000 m ((1000-)9200-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; e Asia (Russian Far East, Siberia)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Draba exunguiculata occupies alpine areas of Clear Creek, El Paso, Grand, and Summit counties in central Colorado. Draba grayana is found in the same general area; both species are apomicts that occasionally grow sympatrically. Draba exunguiculata is easily distinguished from D. grayana by having stems and fruiting pedicels glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple trichomes (versus moderately to densely pubescent with simple and 2- or 3-rayed trichomes), and by having erect, non-clawed petals, 2–3 mm and slightly longer than sepals (versus flared, clawed petals 3–4.5 mm and nearly twice as long as sepals).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Draba lonchocarpa is a highly variable species within which O. E. Schulz (1927), G. A. Mulligan (1974), and R. C. Rollins (1993) recognized three to five varieties. By contrast, C. L. Hitchcock (1941) united it with D. nivalis and recognized six varieties (see 68. D. nivalis for differences). Some of the infraspecific taxa of D. lonchocarpa are based on trivial characteristics and are listed in the synonymy above without further comment. The most problematic are briefly discussed below.

Authors recognizing var. vestita claim that it differs from var. lonchocarpa by having pubescent (versus glabrous) stems and pedicels, 1- or 2-leaved (versus 0 or 1-leaved) scapes, and fruits appressed (versus not appressed) to the rachises. These characteristics do not appear to be strongly correlated. A case in point is the holotype sheet of var. semitonsa, which includes plants with puberulent or glabrous fruits, as well as with pubescent and glabrous stems that are 0–4-leaved. Leafless and densely pubescent scapes are found in Trelease 3913 (MO), whereas completely glabrous, 0–2-leaved stems, and fully appressed fruits are found in Calder 5617a (DAO). Other exceptions can be cited, though the vast majority of the plants examined have leafless, glabrous scapes.

An examination of the type collections of var. thompsonii, Thompson 9512 (holotype, UC; isotypes, DS, GH, MO, NY, RSA, US), clearly shows that the taxon usually has oblong to lanceolate fruits 2–3.2 mm wide, as opposed to linear fruits less than 2 mm wide in var. lonchocarpa. Indeed, a casual observation would immediately justify the recognition of var. thompsonii. Both fruit types can be found in plants of the same population (e.g., the RSA isotype) or even on the same plant (e.g., Thompson 10816, MO). Furthermore, fruits to 2.5 mm wide occur sporadically in various parts of the species range. For these reasons, and in the absence of a comprehensive study of the species, we choose to not recognize var. thompsonii at present.

Draba lonchocarpa is found at elevations of 300–1200 m in Alaska.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 306. FNA vol. 7, p. 317.
Parent taxa Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba Brassicaceae > tribe Arabideae > Draba
Sibling taxa
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. crassifolia, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. lonchocarpa, D. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
D. abajoensis, D. albertina, D. aleutica, D. alpina, D. aprica, D. arabisans, D. arctica, D. arctogena, D. argyrea, D. arida, D. asprella, D. asterophora, D. aurea, D. aureola, D. bifurcata, D. borealis, D. brachycarpa, D. brachystylis, D. breweri, D. burkei, D. californica, D. cana, D. carnosula, D. chamissonis, D. cinerea, D. corrugata, D. corymbosa, D. crassa, D. crassifolia, D. cruciata, D. cuneifolia, D. cusickii, D. cyclomorpha, D. daviesiae, D. densifolia, D. exunguiculata, D. fladnizensis, D. glabella, D. globosa, D. graminea, D. grandis, D. grayana, D. heilii, D. helleriana, D. hitchcockii, D. howellii, D. incana, D. incerta, D. incrassata, D. inexpectata, D. jaegeri, D. juvenilis, D. kassii, D. kluanei, D. lactea, D. lemmonii, D. longisquamosa, D. macounii, D. maguirei, D. malpighiacea, D. micropetala, D. mogollonica, D. monoensis, D. mulliganii, D. murrayi, D. nemorosa, D. nivalis, D. norvegica, D. novolympica, D. oblongata, D. ogilviensis, D. oligosperma, D. oreibata, D. oxycarpa, D. palanderiana, D. pauciflora, D. paucifructa, D. paysonii, D. pectinipila, D. pedicellata, D. pennellii, D. petrophila, D. pilosa, D. platycarpa, D. porsildii, D. praealta, D. pterosperma, D. ramosissima, D. ramulosa, D. rectifructa, D. reptans, D. ruaxes, D. santaquinensis, D. saxosa, D. scotteri, D. serpentina, D. sharsmithii, D. sibirica, D. sierrae, D. simmonsii, D. smithii, D. sobolifera, D. spectabilis, D. sphaerocarpa, D. sphaeroides, D. standleyi, D. stenoloba, D. stenopetala, D. streptobrachia, D. streptocarpa, D. subalpina, D. subcapitata, D. subumbellata, D. trichocarpa, D. ventosa, D. verna, D. viridis, D. weberi, D. yukonensis, D. zionensis
Synonyms D. chrysantha var. exunguiculata, D. chrysantha D. nivalis var. elongata, D. lonchocarpa var. denudata, D. lonchocarpa var. exigua, D. lonchocarpa var. semitonsa, D. lonchocarpa var. thompsonii, D. lonchocarpa var. vestita, D. nivalis var. denudata, D. nivalis var. exigua, D. nivalis subsp. lonchocarpa, D. nivalis var. thompsonii
Name authority (O. E. Schulz) C. L. Hitchcock: Revis. Drabas W. N. Amer., 46. (1941) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 181. (1900)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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